Google’s digital commitment to Africa attests consistently as the Google-Equiano subsea cables arrive in Nigeria for installation per the previous announcement by Google West Africa Director, Mrs. Juliet Ehimuan-Chiazor. Google has reportedly featured the Nigerian-based point-to-point connectivity service provider, WIOCC to manage the installation of the high-end internet broadband system in Nigeria.
Google confirmed Equiano’s subsidiary internet provider system is valuable to promote high-end broadband connectivity technology that starts from Europe through Africa. Google aims to innovate the Nigerian digital sector whereby the high capacity of the subsea cable network is vast enough to cover the entire West African digital ecosystem.
In Africa, Nigeria has reportedly influenced the digital market with five unicorn startup companies worth more than the billion dollars commitment Google promised Africans. In terms of Google’s $1bn commitment to developing the African digital economy, the search giant recently revealed Nairobi as its preferred choice of localization to debut the Google product African development centre project in Kenya.
“Equiano is set to make an enduring contribution towards the development of Nigeria’s communications infrastructure and today marks another major step in its development. We look forward to honouring our commitment to being part of Africa’s digital transformation.”
However, Nigeria’s digital economy is at its prime to experience innovative transformation by the Google-Equiano subsea cables system designed to accelerate internet broadband connectivity when it becomes fully developed and operational before the 2022 timeline elapses.
For context, internet broadband penetration will be heightened by 6% as well as the increased internet speed, while the Equiano connectivity will reduce internet retail price by 21% in Nigeria.
Chiazor highlights Google’s “commitment to supporting Africa’s digital transformation and we are excited to see the impact of the landing of Equiano in Nigeria. We’ve worked with established partners and in-country experts to guarantee that Equiano has the greatest potential effect in Nigeria and throughout Africa.” Google’s partnership with WIOCC is influenced by Chiazor’s nativity as of Nigerian descent.
“We are proud to have been selected by Google as the landing partner for the Equiano cable in Nigeria, landing the cable directly into the OADC Lagos data centre. From there it will be extended to other data centres across Lagos.” WIOCC CEO Chris Wood added to Chiazor’s comments that credit how Equiano will transform Nigeria’s internet broadband system with an affordable internet retail price.
“For the benefits to be fully felt throughout Nigeria, hyper-scale connectivity needs to be extended from the Lagos area to the rest of the country. To make this happen, WIOCC is also deploying a comprehensive, hyper-scale national fibre network. The network will go live in phases, starting in June and continuing through to the end of the year. When combined with the Equiano cable this network will deliver transformational benefits across the country,” Wood continued.
The Google-Equiano subsea cables system is expected to improve the digital economy of the West African economy by $10bn in the next years. Similarly to the budgeted timeline Google drafted for its billion dollars commitment. The high-end subsea installation will also create avenues for job creation in Nigeria with 1.6 million opportunities.
